Willow Creek Weekend Podcast

There are some obvious references to God and the Bible in the classic Christmas movie–It's a Wonderful Life. George Bailey encounters an angel who shows him exactly the impact his life has had on the town of Bedford Falls. This parallels the story of Jesus and how He came down to the world in a very dark time to impact everyone on earth's lives positively. Pastor Dave uses Romans 15 and Luke 2 to demonstrate how real joy can be found in the Lord, even in the darkest moments of our lives.

We’re kicking off Christmas At The Movies with one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time–Elf! You’re probably wondering–how does Elf, from 2003, have anything to do with the Christmas story in the Bible? Pastor Dave will use Matthew 1 to relate Buddy the Elf’s family reunion story to how Joseph dealt with the news of Mary's pregnancy and the stress that it brought. Stay tuned each week as we exploremore classic Christmas movies and how they relate to the Bible and our lives.

As we head towards Christmas, post-Thanksgiving, we want to take a position of gratitude as we give our time and resources to others. Do you have a family tradition of volunteering at Christmas? Are there people you give more time, effort, and help too?   Christmas is a time when we remember to give to our loved ones and to give to others in celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is important to do so out of our personal gratitude to God.  Meghan Marshman teaches from 1 Thessalonians 5, "give thanks in all circumstances."

This week we look at a man in the Bible called Naaman of Aram, from 2 Kings, who struggled with finding gratitude over his owngreatness. Sometimes we can get in the way of our gratitude, just like Naaman, by not being a good listener. Naaman's story also remindsus that it's the simple things we need to do to show our gratitude to God. How much can you relate to Naaman of Aram, and what can youdo to listen well to what God is calling you to?

Have you ever given a gift to someone and they didn’t say thank you? Not a great feeling! Luke 17 tells the story of Jesus healing ten men with leprosy, and only one returned to express gratitude. Let’s learn how we can recognize God’s goodness in our lives and respond with thankfulness.

This week our Online Associate Pastor, Faith Schiller, teaches us what it would look like to "grow younger" in the church. In Acts 1:8 and Matthew 4, Jesus demonstrates His commitment to bridging intergenerational divides by giving leadership positions to teenagers. Consider how we might reach the people who will carry the church beyond ourselves and how we could learn from their perspectives, bringing everyone together and celebrating diversity.

We welcome special guest pastor Andy Stanley!  Jesus modeled how it is possible to disagree politically and still love unconditionally. Pastor Andy Stanley shows us how, instead of being "in it to win it," Jesus came to lose intentionally. On purpose, but with a purpose. How can we become more Christlike by seeking to understand and love across the divide?

Is Jesus the Only Way?

We will never be able to fully love like Jesus if we don’t choose to walk humbly with God. Jesus Himself, who was fully God, humbled himself to become man and face death on a cross. What would it look like if you set aside your position or pride and chose humility instead?

It can be easy to see the way others are “sinning” or falling short, but when faced with the opportunity to shame a woman caught in adultery, Jesus instead challenged the onlookers by saying, “He who is without sin can cast the first stone.” Showing mercy is central to the Gospel—discover ways you can better love like Jesus by choosing a posture of mercy.